Google To Permanently Brick Your Revolv Home Automation Device

[DroidModderX]

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Whats yours is yours and what's yours is mine, atleast this is what Tim Enwall thinks. In weird news today "Revolv" now known as "Nest" a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet has decided it is ok to shut down your Revolv device for good.

If you can remember all the way back to 2014 Revolv was a revolutionary new smarthub device for your home which connected all your smart appliances together without the need to control them all separately with separate apps. Google liked the idea enough to acquire the company which it quickly rebranded as Nest.

Today Tim released a statement letting Revolv users know that they are shutting down the service and rendering the hardware useless! How can they do this?

We’re shutting down Revolv.

Revolv was a great first step into the connected home. It wasn’t perfect, but we worked hard to make something we – and other smart people – could build on.



And it worked. In 2014, we were bought by Nest and the technology we made became an integral part of theWorks with Nestplatform. Now Works with Nest is turning into something more secure, more useful and just flat-out better than anything Revolv created.

So we’re pouring all our energy into Works with Nest and are incredibly excited about what we’re making. Unfortunately, that means we can’t allocate resources to Revolv anymore and we have to shut down the service. As of May 15, 2016, your Revolv hub and app will no longer work.

Thank you for your support and believing in us. We’re sad for the end of Revolv, but this isn’t the end of the connected home. This is the beginning.

– Tim & Mike

It seems like the best thing to do here would be to at the very least give early adopters of the Revolv some sort of credit towards Nest. Here is an idea they could just allow the Revolv to continue to work. What are your thoughts? Is it ok for a company who sold you a product to render it useless when they decide to move onto a new project?

 

[Jeffrey]

Every product has what is called "End Of Life". EOL is typical when a product has been upgraded, replaced or can no longer be supported. I would think they could support a 2 year old electronic product. Although it could be expensive if the product was not a market success.

 

[DroidModderX]

i understand the concept of "End Of Life", but why render hardware useless? Why not send out a final update that makes it a standalone product that doesn't need backend support?

I hear Nest is thinking about refunding Revolv owners.

 

[Jeffrey]

i understand the concept of "End Of Life", but why render hardware useless? Why not send out a final update that makes it a standalone product that doesn't need backend support?

I hear Nest is thinking about refunding Revolv owners.

Good suggestion.. I know nothing about the Revolv and it may not be possible.
I would hope they would offer some type of an upgrade program.

 

[tech_head]

Which is why I will not buy products that require a server that belongs to a company that could cut me off after they decide it's too expensive, too much trouble, no profit, etc.

No cloud supported devices for me. If it requires vendor back end services, you don't own it.

 

[liftedplane]

Which is why I will not buy products that require a server that belongs to a company that could cut me off after they decide it's too expensive, too much trouble, no profit, etc.

No cloud supported devices for me. If it requires vendor back end services, you don't own it.

exactly... If I want home automation I want to be able to run the ENTIRE thing in my home, on my pc or whatever device is powering it and not rely on a 3rd party. The app can be 3rd party and when it reaches OEL stop updating it and let me use it still.

I've been thinking about home automation... I'd rather build my own system then rely on something like this that could be shut down because the company decides they don't want to support it anymore.

 

[Mustang02]

Devices and software EOL everyday but you don't see Microsoft removing Windows XP from every PC running it. This is a bad situation Google put themselves in with it being cloud/server based. Like discussed above, it should be run local LAN, not WAN.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

This is simple, this devices is backended by services. However, it is a unsustainable to keep these services running without a service fee for its usage. This was poorly thought out. "Buy it once use it forever"?

They should have offered to let the services remain up for a monthly service fee though, instead of just shutting it down.

 

[PereDroid]

Agree with statements about never buying anything that relies on someone else. And EOL'ing is one thing, but shutting the product down entirely??
I know a Nest Thermo is standalone but there was certainly a server side issue once that caused problems. No thanks.

The Honeywell: Honeywell RTH9580WF WiFi 9000 Color Touchscreen Thermostat, 8.06 sq in., Premier Silver - Programmable Household Thermostats - Amazon.com may not be as sexy, but... it's a thermostat. It's a LOT cheaper. And it works well.

I'd be really ticked if I had a Revolv setup. At least Phillips won't be able to shut my Hue lights down. All they could do it shut down my ability to run the lights remotely. And I'm sure there's a way to work around that.

 

[xeene]

They need to either refund the people or send them new nest device. Otherwise I can see a class action lawsuit happening.

 

[RyanPm40]

Which is why I will not buy products that require a server that belongs to a company that could cut me off after they decide it's too expensive, too much trouble, no profit, etc.

No cloud supported devices for me. If it requires vendor back end services, you don't own it.

Well, better throw away your Android device then

 

[tech_head]

Good point, but I can use it a phone even if Google goes out of business. I won't have Google services but it will still work. Those devices cease to work. Also nothing prevents me from putting another OS on my Nexus.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk